JOSE P.

DELORIA
MAED-TESL 1
a.Identify the different tenses and aspects
of verbs,
b.Appreciate the importance of learning
the different tenses and aspects of verbs
c.Make grammatically correct sentences
using the different tenses and aspect of
verbs
What is a verb?

The verb contains the action of the

sentence. Without verbs, we couldn't talk
about running, or jumping, or eating. And
without verb tenses, we couldn't talk
about when we did those things. Did we
eat dinner yesterday? Will we go for a run
tomorrow? We need verb tenses to talk
about time.
Three key terms in this study

tense
Any of the forms of a verb that distinguish when an
action or state of being occurs or exists. The three
simple tenses are past, present, and future.
verb
A word that indicates an action, event, or state.
aspect
A grammatical category that expresses how a
verb relates to the flow of time.
 Perfect
Simple Progressive
Perfect Forms Progressive
Forms Forms
Forms
am/is/are have/has been
Present take/s have/has taken
taking taking
was/were
Past took had taken had been taking
taking

will/shall will have been

Future will be taking will have taken
take taking
 Present Tense

Present tense expresses an unchanging, repeated, or

reoccurring action or situation that exists only now. It can
also represent a widespread truth.

Example Meaning
Unchanging
The mountains are tall and white.
action
Every year, the school council elects new members. Recurring action

Pb is the chemical symbol for lead. Widespread truth

 Past Tense
Past tense expresses an action or situation that was started
and finished in the past. Most past tense verbs end in -ed.
The irregular verbs have special past tense forms which
must be memorized.

Example Form

W.W.II ended in 1945. Regular -ed past

Ernest Hemmingway wrote "The Old Man and the
Irregular form
Sea."
 Future Tense
Future tense expresses an action or situation that will
occur in the future. This tense is formed by
using will/shall with the simple form of the verb.

The speaker of the House will finish her term in May of 1998.
The future tense can also be expressed by using am, is,
or are with going to.
The surgeon is going to perform the first bypass in Minnesota.
We can also use the present tense form with an adverb or
adverbial phrase to show future time.
The president speaks tomorrow. (Tomorrow is a future time
adverb.)
 Progressive Forms

Present Progressive Tense

Present progressive tense describes an ongoing
action that is happening at the same time the
statement is written. This tense is formed by
using am/is/are with the verb form ending in -ing.
The sociologist is examining the effects that racial
discrimination has on society.
Past Progressive Tense
Past progressive tense describes a past action
which was happening when another action
occurred. This tense is formed by
using was/were with the verb form ending in -
ing.
The explorer was explaining the lastest
discovery in Egypt when protests began on the
streets.
Future Progressive Tense
Future progressive tense describes an ongoing
or continuous action that will take place in the
future. This tense is formed by using will
be or shall be with the verb form ending in -ing.
Dr. Jones will be presenting ongoing research on
sexist language next week.
 Aspect
Perfect Forms
Present Perfect Tense
Present perfect tense describes an action that happened at an
indefinite time in the past or that began in the past and
continues in the present.This tense is formed by
using has/have with the past participle of the verb. Most past
participles end in -ed. Irregular verbs have special past
participles that must be memorized.

Example Meaning

The researchers have traveled to many countries in

At an indefinite time
order to collect more significant data.

Women have voted in presidential elections since 1921. Continues in the present
Past Perfect Tense
Past perfect tense describes an action that
took place in the past before another past
action. This tense is formed by
using had with the past participle of the
verb.
By the time the troops arrived, the war had
ended.
Future Perfect Tense
Future perfect tense describes an action
that will occur in the future before some
other action. This tense is formed by
using will have with the past participle of
the verb.
By the time the troops arrive, the combat
group will have spent several weeks
waiting.
Aspect
Perfect Progressive Forms

Present Perfect Progressive

Present perfect progressive tense describes an
action that began in the past, continues in the
present, and may continue into the future. This
tense is formed by using has/have been and
the present participleof the verb (the verb form
ending in -ing).
The CEO has been considering a transfer to the
state of Texas where profits would be larger.
Past Perfect Progressive
Past perfect progressive tense describes a past,
ongoing action that was completed before some other
past action. This tense is formed by using had been and
the present perfect of the verb (the verb form ending
in -ing).
Before the budget cuts, the students had been
participating in many extracurricular activities.
Future Perfect Progressive
Future perfect progressive tense describes a future,
ongoing action that will occur before some specified
future time. This tense is formed by using will have
been and the present participle of the verb (the verb
form ending in -ing).
By the year 2020, linguists will have been
studying and defining the Indo-European language
family for more than 200 years.